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The short answer is yes, you can import data from pretty much any database into Salesforce.

The longer answer is ...

The challenge with any data migration is that different systems organize data in different ways. HomeKeeper tracks over 15 objects or tables of information with hundreds of custom fields. Moving data into HomeKeeper requires careful planning. When clients work with NPower Northwest on Salesforce projects, we start by talking with them about their goals and figuring out how Salesforce can help their organizations further their missions. Part of this process includes planning for how data from one or more existing systems can be migrated into Salesforce. After we've talked through the requirements and had a chance to do a basic analysis of current data, we provide our clients with an estimate of how much work we expect migration to take and advice about what they can do to prepare their data.

Once the client is ready to go forward with implementation, we dig into the details of what needs to happen to get the data from the old system to the new:

- What fields exist in the old system that we should re-create in Salesforce?

- How should fields map from the old system to the new system?

- Are there fields that show up in one format that we need to convert to another? (For example, your old system might group people and organizations into a single record type called "constituents" that we would need to break out into contacts and accounts.)

We map the field migration plan out in spreadsheets that the client will populate and/or review, so everyone knows the plan before we ever import any data.

Next, we perform a test migration to check the plan we made. The client looks over the data and checks to make sure that all the information from the old system was correctly brought into Salesforce. If anything needs to be changed, we update the migration plan accordingly. If there are substantial changes, we might run a second test migration to make sure everything looks good.

Finally, we clear out the test data and run the final import of data to the new system. The client makes a final check through the new records and makes sure everything looks correct.

To get more information about working with NPower Northwest, contact Jade Greene at jadeg@npowernw.org.